


Welcome to Vale

by orphan_account



Series: Welcome to Vale [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby - Freeform, Mafia AU, Multi, White Rose - Freeform, arkos, team sloth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-01-24 22:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1619069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a life of family wars, of punishments, a life of control over the Vale underworld. However, tensions begin to rise between the Arc and Rose families as times change.</p>
<p>The seedy underworld of a city is shifting, and should it go down, it is planned to take the city down with it. Unlikely alliances will be formed, backs will be stabbed, and Vale itself will be changed with the mob that exists within it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mistress

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my big bro, who helped come up with the idea and had been bouncing ideas off me ever since we started this. Love ya, bro!

She lay in the bed of a smokey hotel room, the whole room washed in a faint sepia. The entire place seemed to be cheaply made, with bits of wallpaper slightly rotten around the edges, various stains on small parts of the carpeting, the small crack in the corner of the mirror, and, of course, the bed itself. The bed wasn’t exactly the cleanest thing in the world and, at least in her mind, it was likely crawling with any number of things that weren’t supposed to be touching her.  The sheets had a faint beige tone to them, and she couldn’t tell if the color was fading out of them or fading into them. With what she was seeing, she assumed it was the latter.

She took a deep, sighing breath, taking in the strong smell of wood and cigarettes, accented by the faint aroma of decay underneath the large amounts of lavender that was being used in an attempt to mask it. The overwhelming aroma of said lavenders almost choked her as she breathed in, making the breath out feel like a sort of release. It was hard to stay in this room, definitely, and yet she was expected to stay the entire night.

Then again, the one known as Pyrrha Nikos was not one to complain.

She waited in near silence. The only sound that dared escape her was her own breathing, the beat of her heart, and an occasional soft growl from her stomach.

She regretted heading to the place in such a rush. She hadn’t had much energy during the trip to the place, and the wait she had to endure was quickly grinding her remaining energy down.

At her first visible sign of regret for a ‘small deal’ with the Vale mob, the door cracked open. There was a clear nervousness in whoever was behind said door, yet Pyrrha couldn’t help but say one sentence.

“No matter what they told you,” she stated, a barely-noticeable touch of nervousness in her firm tone, “I’m not your wife just yet.”

“I...I…” was the reply she received from the other side.

“Yes?” she said, relaxing her tone.

“I’m well aware of that!”

Slowly, the door opened, revealing the one she had been waiting for. He was well-dressed, though it was likely just for this occasion, though his posture, even at a glance, was quite obviously unprofessional, if only due to his immense amounts of awkwardness towards the entire situation. Despite this, it was clear he had at least a decent figure. Somehow, he looked like he could be a fighter.

Soon, Pyrrha found herself looking towards his face. His vibrant blonde hair somehow managed to look messy, and his deep blue gaze was turned away from Pyrrha.

She had expected the exact opposite of this. While she had known he was her age, she had expected him to be willing, even eager to follow the orders he had been presented with. The one who stood in front of her was nervous and unwilling, almost giving off a gentlemanly aura. Though he was certainly a different kind of gentleman, he seemed to be one nonetheless.

Pyrrha lifted her body from the sheets, sitting up and revealing her own well-muscled figure, accented by flame-red hair streaming down her shoulders and, to an extent, falling in front of her eyes, obscuring stripes of her view. She cast an emerald-colored gaze and a weak, forced smile towards this stranger.

She sighed in relief, thankful that he wasn’t just another man starved for pleasure; the sort of man that would tie a woman down if he had to. No, this one was different.

If anything, the observations of him alone would be interesting. This was a clear contrast to his roots in the criminal underworld, which alone were enough to keep anybody interested. But this air he presented himself with made him seem so normal.

The second impression he gave was that he was a sort of public face. He couldn’t have been anything else; his entire air seemed to give off a very genuine feel.

“Well,” she began, “We should just get this over with.”

Pyrrha rolled onto her back, setting herself in a submissive position as this stranger began to remove the jacket to his suit. She watched him closely, partially out of curiosity, but also out of having nothing else to focus her eyes on. The night had dragged on, and she had anxiously awaited this moment, if only because she had hoped to get through it as quickly as possible. However, she was certain that this would be much less hard to get through as she had initially thought.

Her deal came to mind again. The exact words of the one she had spoken to echoed in her mind.

_“If you want to join the family, you and he have to marry before he’s eighteen. And since you agreed to it, there is something else you’ll have to do...”_

It was a tradition in his family, after all, to marry early on in life, usually just bringing in a new trophy mob wife. Eighteen was the cutoff, apparently. To think, they had become so desperate to follow traditions that they were willing to pick up any random stranger off the street, so long as said stranger would keep quiet.

Pyrrha, of course, had her reasons for heading to Vale in the first place. She didn’t want to think of them at the moment, however. She had zoned out, evidently, because her apparent future husband now found himself apprehensively lying next to her, unsure of how to proceed with his job.

“H-Here,” Pyrrha instructed, “I need you to just position yourself over me. Just relax.”

“Wait,” he responded, “I-I…”

“Yes?”

“I...I don’t want to do this!”

He looked away,burying his face in his own arms as Pyrrha watched on. She knew that he wasn’t willing to do this, but she never expected him to blatantly disobey orders like that. She knew that she had to say something, anything to get him to go through with what they were told to do.

“I would think that this is an occupational hazard, so to speak.”

“You’re telling me that ‘Hey, here’s this random girl, now go sleep with her’ comes with this?!”

“Unfortunately,” Pyrrha sighed, “Yes. It does. Though honestly, I didn’t expect somebody who wouldn’t even go through with it to begin with...Not that I mean that in a bad way.”

“H-hey, you didn’t expect even a little decency?” he replied.

“Admittedly, no,” Pyrrha answered, “After all, you of all people should know how these deals can be.”

She kept her sights fixed on him.

“Is it too much to ask for you to look this way?” she asked, a slight smile on her face.

He did as she asked, though it was clear he was struggling to do so.

“Just...Just relax. Relax and consider yourself very, very lucky…Jaune Arc,” Pyrrha whispered, her voice showing hints of apprehension that grew stronger with each word. She brushed the hair away from her eyes, taking in the sight of her partner. He seemed to at least be trying to take Pyrrha’s words to heart, as he now lay on his back, allowing her to move in closer. She moved her arms around his body, lightly touching his shoulders, and letting her chest press against his.

There was visible shock in his eyes as she did so.

“Wait, what are you-”

“It’s all right. We’re just following orders,” Pyrrha said, “It’s not like I want to either. But if we have to, I suppose we could find a little enjoyment in it.”

Jaune sighed.

“Fine. Do what you want,” he replied, “...Pyrrha, right?”

“Yes...Pyrrha Nikos,” Pyrrha said in return.

Pyrrha let her hand move down Jaune’s chest, stopping at one point to feel a few of his heartbeats.

“I hope you can forgive me for this.”

She moved her head down his body, giving him a quick kiss on the stomach. Then she continued, stopping between his legs.

* * *

 

“Well, that was...something,” Pyrrha chuckled, “I certainly wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction out of you.”

“Hey, I’ve never done this! Cut me a little slack!” Jaune responded, though it was with much less energy than he’d had moments before.

“Well, what’s done is done. And...And thank god it is. This wasn’t just your first,” Pyrrha admitted.

“Wait...It wasn’t?!”

Pyrrha smiled gently.

“Well, even if you know how the life can be,” she explained, “It doesn’t mean that all of the women in the families have slept around like this. Certainly not myself. A-At least, not until now.”

Jaune sighed, finding himself listening intently to Pyrrha’s rhythmic heartbeat, letting it lull him to sleep for the few hours that were left in the night.

Her stomach growled, and she turned away, a slight blush washing over her face.

“You know, I could go out and-”

She cut off her ‘partner,’ chuckling to herself.

“It’s fine. I’ll eat in the morning,” she whispered, “Good night, Jaune.”


	2. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, in a warehouse, the princess prepares to take the throne.

The warehouse was empty, abandoned, save for a few wooden crates dotting the floor. The deep gray of the entire area loomed over the ground, various ancient stains adding black accents. There was a stench floating through the air, though none would be able to pinpoint exactly what it was. It carried the smells of mold and rotting wood through the air, forming a cloud of its influence that wouldn’t dare escape the area. Outside, the sound of breezes filled the air, picking up and dying down in a steady rhythm. Little light filtered through the damaged windows, and whatever did breach through landed on the center of the room. Indeed, this warehouse could have been described at that moment as a stage, illuminated by the spotlight of the watchful moon.

Underneath the spotlight stood a girl of an ice-heart. She let the light shine over the ornate silver of her rapier, each groove in the designs reflecting off it. It was an important night for the girl, a night which she knew would send change across her family’s entire area of influence. She had let her hair down for this occasion, though she was dressed in her usual white dress and bolero for this night. She traced the scar across her left eye with her finger, then she turned to look the opposite way.

Sitting in a chair, bound down and just outside of the light, was a man. As far as this girl was concerned, he was to remain featureless. She dared not look him in the face, as she had lost any respect she should have had for him. Indeed, their relationship was one of hatred in its purest form, laced with betrayal and accented with hints of abandonment.

“Ruby,” the girl said, “Could you bring him closer?”

Another girl moved the chair forward. She was a small-framed girl, though slightly larger than the white one. Her deep red hair was cut into a bob, the tips of each strand becoming lighter towards the end. She had followed in her partner’s decision to not bother dressing up for this, dressing in her usual red and black attire, her hooded cloak barely moving as she stepped forward. She cast a silver-eyed smile to the other girl, and then walked away.

“This one’s yours, Weiss,” Ruby said as she turned around, “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Weiss bowed to Ruby after she turned around, then turned to the well-dressed man, finally looking him in the face. He had been gagged, and his well-kept black hair had taken on a matted appearance from an earlier beating, courtesy of Ruby. Bruises lined his face and neck, and his eyes showed the weakness and the fight of a beast at bay.

“I’m not going to say this isn’t personal,” Weiss began, scratching her rapier against his sleeve, “Because it very much is, Schnee. Or rather, I should say what you’ve expected me to say...Father.”

She jabbed the blade into his upper arm at the last word, prompting a pained cry from him. Outside, Ruby watched on, humming softly to herself. Weiss didn’t dare break her gaze with this man.

“I’ve lived seventeen years. I’ve lived with you this entire time. And each day, as soon as I became aware, I was terrified of you. You were always there looking over us, ruling over us with an iron fist. I won’t listen to your orders anymore, father. Starting tonight, the family is mine to oversee. They’re not going to need you any longer. As such…”

As her voice trailed off, Weiss dragged the tip of her blade up her father’s arm, digging it in deeper as she moved up.

That is, until she reached the side of his neck. When she did so, she stopped, moving her blade out. She had every intention of savoring this moment.

“Die as the filthy rat that you always were,” Weiss said coldly as she brought the blade around his neck. She started by simply scratching the surface of his neck, forming a bright red circle. Soon, she brought the blade in deeper, going in more circles around his neck, skipping over the front each time until a patch of clean skin had formed on said front. All the while, he had held completely still and unflinching. A twisted grin crossed Weiss’s face.

“I’ve been waiting so long to finally end this. You’ve been nothing but a disappointment, though...While I’d like to keep you alive for more of this, it won’t do to have the head of the family alive if I truly want to take the reins here,” Weiss hissed, “As such…”

At her last two words, she dug the blade back into her father’s neck, tearing it across the front. A hideous ripping echoed through the empty area, accompanied by Ruby’s soft humming from outside. At last, the man who had simply called himself ‘Schnee’ fell limp, his blood covering his entire neck and slowly moving down the rest of his body.

Weiss dropped her rapier, trembling violently. At this moment, Ruby walked behind her and spoke.

“Care to explain all that?”

“Gi...Give me time, Ruby. I need this all to sink in,” Weiss replied, “I need you to go out and meet with Yang before then. You know where to go for this one.”

“Of course,” Ruby said, “I’ll be going, then. You should probably go back home as soon as you can, you know? Deliver the news that you’re head now.”

Ruby’s humming picked up once more, her song echoing through the warehouse. Weiss grabbed her rapier, turning her back on her father for one last time. Indeed, she had a story behind what she had done. Each time he struck her, each word of disappointment...There was much to tell. It would have to wait for another time.

Meanwhile, Ruby stepped out into the streets of Vale once more, her silver gaze meeting the lights against the darkness of the night air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's shorter! I promise, two more 1000-2000 word chapters and they'll start getting longer.


	3. Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting out the night was hard when there was shooting going on outside.

They lay covered by layer upon layer of cloth, exhausted from their travels as they had been several times in the past. Their room had beckoned them, the smell of an almost-unused top floor room leaving them thankful for their own luck. While it still had the same atmosphere of the rest of the hotel, there was a lingering warmth to their room that hadn’t been in the hallways. They had no intentions of staying for long, nevertheless, as the room had hints of wear that made it seem dilapidated and abandoned. They were only small hints; bits of peeling wallpaper and the occasional bug flittering by (Though it was likely the same bug each time), but they were enough to drive them out as soon as they had rested.  
The beige tones of the room added a sense of tranquility as the lights were lowered. Given where they were, it was easy to understand their criminal connections, yet at this moment Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, two rogues turned dwellers of Vale’s underworld, seemed just as ‘normal’ as any other person walking the streets, even if their weapons were within arm’s reach. They knew that the area they were in had the chance of danger, danger that they would be well-prepared for.

Nora stretched out and yawned, her small yet toned figure suddenly looking almost exaggerated. Each muscle that showed underneath her underwear seemed to be defined, almost overly so. This was to be expected of a girl who carried a giant hammer, of course, and after the first few times seeing them, Ren had grown attached to that aspect of her. Nora quickly adjusted back into her original position, her wispy, untamed auburn hair barely touching the bottom of her neck. She grabbed a few sheets, pulling them towards herself and wrapping them around her body, prompting an amused sigh from her partner.

“Nora, we only have one bed. Give those back.”

Ren’s entire body was now exposed. His lithe figure showed his skillset well: Speed and precision. The faint outline of his ribcage showed underneath his skin, which had been marred by various bullet and knife wounds over time, giving his entire torso a weathered look. The freshest of the scars, a bullet wound that he had received five months before, was positioned on his shoulder, covered by his long, jet-black hair. It certainly wasn’t as prominent, however, as a few of his other features; namely, the bright pink streak in his hair and the large scars on his knees, showing evidence of a past incident that he dared not forget.

With an annoyed groan, Nora tossed the sheets back to him.

“Fiiiiine, fine. I’ll share,” she responded, “It is kinda cold, after all…”

“Nora,” Ren chuckled, “Let’s just get to sleep.”

“Yeah...Unlike Jaune. Guy’s got work to do, you know? Loooots of work, if you know what I mean!”

Ren rolled his eyes. They were both aware of the arrangement going on a few floors below them: The Arc family arranged marriage. Though they had plans to meet up with Jaune earlier, their times of arrival had been different enough to force them to wait.

Nora finally allowed her eyes to close, moving closer to Ren.

Then, the first gunshot echoed through the outside.

Nora’s eyes shot open into a glare. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence for her, but it was one of the things that never failed to piss her off. Being interrupted during sleep was bad enough, but interruption by gunshots? Gunshots always set her off.

She reached for Manghild, each finger wrapping its way around the hammer with a delicate grace.

“If you don’t mind, Ren,” Nora growled, “I’ll be dealing with these ones.”

There was a choking silence following the gunshot. Nora stepped out of their room into the deep tan and mahogany of the hallways, taking in the smell of smoke for a single second. Then, she took a good look at the two who had been causing the commotion.

They were, to say the least, forgettable. Both men were dressed in the same red and black suits, the same shades that hid their eyes, and they both carried weapons that gave off the same vibe.

One of the men coughed violently, blood leaking from his mouth. Nora turned to the man who had shot this one.

“Excuse me,” she said cheerfully, “But _some_ of us are trying to get a little rest. I think it’d be wise if you just took your little war outside, hm? Before I have to take this thing to your legs!”

“Heh, kid, ya wouldn’t know a thing about the sorta crap we’ve been through. Why don’t ya just waltz on back to your room and lemme finish my job? God, I swear you kids’re gettin’ worse with each job…”  
“Oh really?” Nora retorted, “Because I’ll have you know something right now: I’m a Valkyrie.”

“A...What?” the man responded.

“A Valkyrie,” Nora continued, “You know, we’re the ones taking little pests like you out and bashing their little skulls in! Or just breaking your legs, or arms, or...Well, anything, really, so long as we get what we want. Usually info. And I’d really like to know…”

Nora quickly allowed herself a chance to switch weapon forms. Soon, she held a hammer no longer. Instead, she held the grenade launcher that she had become infamous for using.

“...Why you’re interrupting my, how you say...Beauty rest? I mean, I don’t even care about the beauty part, but, well, it’s sleep,” she continued, her tone growing increasingly threatening, “And you don’t want to know what I’m like without a full night’s sleep.”

“Wait, kid, ya gotta be jokin’! That thing’s gonna bring this whole damn place down! Ya sure ya wanna-”  
“You get out of here,” Nora explained, a grin on her face and her finger on the trigger of her gun, “And take this guy with you, and I won’t have to!”

The man backed down. Nora had managed to remain intimidating, despite (or perhaps because of) her lack of clothing. It was ridiculous to the two men who had been involved in this scuffle. It would be ridiculous to anybody watching.

Yet for Nora, it was perfect.

As soon as the man lowered his gun, Nora watched as he left, carrying the barely-living victim of his attack with him.

Satisfied with the outcome of it all, Nora stepped back into her room.

“So,” Ren began, “I take it that went well?”

“Yep!” Nora replied, setting her weapon down beside their bed and lying down, “It’s all been taken care of! Though I’d like to know why he did all that…”

“I suppose it doesn’t matter,” Ren answered, “Right now, it’s best for us to both just sleep.”

“Yeah…” Nora whispered, curling up next to her partner and embracing him from behind, “‘Night, Ren.”

There was no reply from Ren. He was already well on his way to being completely asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear that every scene with Team JNPR will not turn to sex. (To my dearest brother, STOP TRYING TO PERSUADE ME OTHERWISE.)
> 
> Three days and a lot of Cowboy Bebop music later, and I'm finally done with Ren and Nora's chapter. Next up is the pair I have the strongest muse for: Yang and Blake. That'll be fun. Those two are always fun to write.  
> I'm also super SUPER glad for all the support I've been getting! Thanks to all the people who left kudos here! I'll continue producing the best work I can!


	4. Night Dealings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A proposition is made between three old foes and the new partner of one.

A faunus stood in an alleyway, her human partner standing alongside her. It was the standard empty red brick alleyway, site of muggings and petty theft, but never the site of the Rose family’s dealings. Yet now, two girls of the family had business to attend to, and this was exactly where they’d be doing it. Their gazes met, gold meeting lavender, the golden eyes seeing the moonlight clearly reflected off the eyes of the one known as Yang Xiao Long. Their breaths were quick and shallow, both trying to avoid taking in the musty smell of the city. It was, at the very least, unpleasant, smelling of whatever trash had been thrown onto the streets, which may have included a body or two. However, in the pure, blissful silence, the two weren’t ones to complain unless they themselves were heard.

“So,” Yang began, “You said you wanted me here, Blake? Alone?”

“Yes,” Blake whispered, “Keep it down, though. This place next to us is a hotel. Wouldn’t want to hear their guests complain about us, would we?”

Yang brushed a lock of her immense mass of bright blonde hair out of her face. Her eyes had widened a little at the comment from her partner, though her look of slight surprise quickly turned to a playful smile.

“Oh,” Yang purred, “So that’s what this is about? You little rat, you just had to choose the worst place for it!”

“You certainly don’t sound opposed to it,” Blake replied, “Though if you have any way we can get a room there, I’m all ears. Neither of us have any lien on us at the moment, and you know that full well.”

“Never mind, then,” Yang responded, “I don’t have the energy for the act this time. And the guys around here? They’ll take advantage of the whole seduction thing until the very freaking end.”

The two sat in silence for a long while. They were at a loss as to for what to do during that long while, until Blake finally sat down, gesturing for Yang to sit in front of her.

“Here,” Blake whispered, “I’ll do what I can to make this bearable.”

The second Yang sat down, Blake’s hands began to move, massaging Yang’s shoulders through a sea of bright blonde hair. She was careful not to tear any, as she had witnessed how terrifying the outcome of that was.

Soon, Blake began to knead into her partner’s lower back, her fingers slipping under Yang’s jacket.

“Here,” Yang whispered, “Let get that for you, kitty.”

Just as Yang reached for her jacket, however, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the air, and a freshly-killed man lay in front of them.

“...That sort of deal going on over here, huh…?” Blake muttered to herself.

“Well,” Yang chuckled, “That’s one way to kill the mood. We might as well move away from here, though. I’m not sleeping next to a dead guy.”

“Agreed, Blake responded, “Let’s...Well, let’s just get out of here. Find a new place to sleep for the night.”

Both stood up and walked out into the street, their shadows casting a clear contrast against the light that the streetlights and moon combined to create. They scanned the area, looking for narrow alleyways or any other shady places they could crash. Being as strapped for cash as they were, they weren’t looking for anything fancy. However, fancy was a bonus. They would just have to see what Yang could net them.

Just then, two more silhouettes appeared nearby. Yang would recognize them easily: Two twins, one in red, one in silver, both black-haired and green-eyed, both carrying blades that could gut a person in seconds flat. One carried claws, the other wielded bladed heels.

Indeed, these two were the infamous Malachite sisters.

“Miltia, it’s that girl again,” the girl in silver said, her voice polite yet dull.

Yang let out a slight gasp.

“Yeah, that’s her. Melanie,” the red-clad girl said, “Don’t fight her this time. I think we can drive her out using different methods this time…”

“Oh, hey you two. ‘S been a while, huh? Melanie, Miltia. Didn’t expect you two all the way out here. So, what’s brought you here?” Yang asked. Blake looked on, obviously confused.

“This is our part of Vale,” Melanie answered, “And there’ll be a lot more than just us if you two decide to stay here.”

“Oh, really?” Yang retorted, taking a step forward “You’re acting as if you don’t remember last time. Go on, tell me: Just who was it that won that battle?”

Melanie let out a growl in response to this. Miltia placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder, trying to calm her down so that neither would make any rash decisions.

“Go on,” Yang snarled, “Tell me who won.”

“You did,” Melanie muttered.

“I didn’t catch that one.”

“You did. You won that fight,” Melanie hissed.

“And I’ve got a partner now,” Yang said, “So just try to fight us.”

“Yang,” Blake warned, walking forward to mirror Miltia’s earlier actions towards Melanie, “Don’t do it. Let’s just leave this area...We can fight them when we don’t have any business out here.”

“Grr...All right, fine. We’ll leave for now,” Yang growled, “But we’ll be back here someday. You wanted a fight, Melanie. We can settle this next time.”

“I’ll hold you to that one,” Melanie said, “Now get out of here.”

* * *

 

“Sorry I did that,” Blake said, “You’re sure that Ruby’s in this part of the city, though?”

“It’s fine, Blake. I’m sorry I said what I did back there,” Yang replied, “And yeah, she couldn’t have gone that far, right? I mean, I didn’t even know that those two had claimed that part of Vale. Still, I guess it’s good that we know that now...Though I’d like to know just how much they control.”

“Yeah,” Blake sighed, “But we’ll probably learn that soon. Hey, isn’t that…”

Stepping into the lights ahead was a familiar hooded girl. The bright red of her cloak stood out against the night, allowing for the two to see her at least somewhat clearly.

“Yang!” she called, “Weren’t you supposed to be up ahead?”

“Hey Ruby! Stuff came up. Yeah,” Yang replied, “And, well...We had to move over here.”

“Don’t tell me,” Ruby said, “It was those two girls from a while back?”

Yang fell silent, forcing Blake to fill Ruby in on what had just happened.

“Yes,” Blake explained, “And they’re expecting a fight from us later on. It’d be best to explain this when we’ve all rested and Weiss has informed everybody about the job. Speaking of which, where is she?”

“She’s still back at the warehouse,” Ruby responded, “Just give her a little more time. She’ll be out here soon.”

There was a deafening silence after that sentence. It had finally dawned on the three that they were standing on the citywalk of Vale in the late hours of the night with nowhere else to go, and no lien to boot.

The three of them waited for the inevitable question, until Ruby finally uttered it.

“...What now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleah. This chapter isn't my best.  
> Oh well, I got to put the Malachite sisters in here. Always a plus. And besides, the pace will pick up in the next chapter.


	5. Interlude: Ending of the First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaded and bitter, the twins seek a new target, ending the first night.

Weiss hadn’t planned on staying longer than she had to. The stench of blood, combined with the city air, had driven her away, yet she felt as if she could no longer move. The hilt of Myrtlenaster still felt as cold as it had when she had picked it up, a feel that had quickly spread to her entire body, causing her to shiver.

She knew she had to leave before she was noticed, and yet she couldn’t move without forcing herself to.

When she finally did force herself to move, she gravitated towards her father’s body for a final look into his eyes. Immortalized in his face was a look she hadn’t seen before: A look of fear. It wasn’t the fear of dying, the kind of fear that would force a person to surrender. This look was one of a different fear: The fear of losing control. He had no time to resign. Even if he’d had time to do so, it would have been against him to do it, and Weiss wouldn’t have given it to him anyway.

As she turned away from him, she realized that somebody else was nearby. It was merely her own intuition that had tipped her off; the feeling of being watched creeping over her like a shadow. In an instant, her entire demeanor had changed. She now stood tall, attentive, and ready to strike. Knowing the danger she was in, Weiss created a few glyphs, unleashing weak fire attacks in hopes of revealing whoever was nearby, as well as igniting a nearby wooden crate.

Standing off to her side, just out of range of the fire, were the silhouettes of two girls that had recently spoken to somebody she knew well. Their blades were out, their eyes locked on her, and their voices hushed to whispers.

“Melanie,” the girl in red said, “This is her, right?”

“Yes,” Melanie answered, “You know what to do here, Miltia.”

The two girls quickly dashed away, using the crates that were scattered around the warehouse as cover, even if one was on fire and the flames were quickly spreading. Weiss wasted no time in attacking again, stabbing forward to create a trail of lightning in front of her. Soon, however, the two girls had separated, and the silver-clad girl was rushing towards her.

Though Melanie struck forward with her bladed heels, the attacks were quickly parried, one after another until she finally leapt back, twisting her body so that she was facing her opponent once more as her sister struck from behind Weiss, slashing into her neck. Weiss barely flinched at this, instead creating a glyph beneath Miltia’s feet, hitting her legs with a fire attack as she moved away. Then, both girls practically leapt forward, each one striking at the gaps in their opponent’s defenses until a hit finally landed.

They had found Weiss at a time when she was distracted. They knew she was distracted, and taking that hit had only made it worse. Soon, they began unleashing a barrage of attacks; Melanie hitting with her heels and Miltia attacking with her claws until finally, Weiss was down on the ground, the only movement left in her coming out as choked, heaving breaths.

As she lay still, the hands of her attackers slipped under her arms. She tried to struggle, forcing herself to kick at the twins’ feet, to no avail. She could barely even speak, and had decided to remain silent. She had figured out what this was: They didn’t want her dead. These girls wanted her alive, and even in her state of exhaustion, Weiss was very much living.

Living, breathing, bleeding, and very pissed indeed.

Yet she was now forced into submission, being dragged away from her latest achievement in life to be held captive for one reason or another. This wasn’t her fall from grace, though. That would be coming much later in her life, if it came at all, and it would be laced with quiet resignation and a strange sense of dignity, much like what she had to show as she was dragged. Yet at the same time, hate was building within her. She knew that when she was free, these two would be dead.

Or worse.

Preferably the latter.

Weiss had lost track of where she was anymore, but she had remained awake through the entire journey, watching the broken streetlights of the decrepit roads pass by against the darkness of the sky as if they were stars.

Soon, Melanie spoke once again.

“Ugh, Miltia, I thought you were supposed to take care of those two,” Melanie hissed, turning her head towards an alley that had recently been decorated by a fight, with the shards of broken glass lining the edges and a dead body adorning the center. It was easy to see, even

Miltia nodded, heading into a nearby building and leaving Melanie and Weiss alone.

“...You’re so beautiful, you…” Melanie muttered as she continued moving, “I hate you, I hate you so much already…”

Suddenly, darkness began filling the area. The two were underneath cover of buildings, rubble, and any number of garbage bags.

Melanie’s hand met Weiss’s breast, slipping under her dress and pulling it down to reveal her naked body. Soon, she had revealed the entirety of her captive’s torso, yet she did nothing. She only looked on in jealous disdain.

Weiss finally brought out the energy to speak.

“Just...J-Just what do you think you’re doing?!” she snarled weakly, “I don’t even know you!”

“You may not,” Melanie responded, digging her heel into Weiss’s thigh, which prompted a cry of pain, “But we know you, we know who you’re with. And I know full well that the name ‘Yang Xiao Long’ is going to ring a few bells up there.”

Weiss’s eyes widened.

“She picked a fight with you?!” she gasped.

“Yes,” another voice replied from nearby, “And we’ve been looking for another fight for a while.”

Miltia stepped into view once more, her claws now bloodied.

“Now then,” Melanie said, “Miltia, do you think I’d be able to teach her a few lessons before we left again?”

“No,” Miltia replied, “Melanie, please don’t do that yet. Once we get back to Junior, maybe you’ll have a chance to do that...But not now.”

“...All right,” Melanie responded, “We should get going, then. Come on, Miltia, pick her up again. We still have a little ground to cover.”

Weiss had now gone limp, her entire being focused on storing what little energy she had so that someday, she could strike back. The world was fading quickly, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay awake long enough to clearly see the state she was in.

She swore, as the last hints of consciousness died, that she was staring at a beautiful night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleeeeargh. It takes so long to do these things. And by that I mean get my muse back.  
> Sorry it took so long, sorry I made Weiss look so weak, sorry. Yeah. In my defense, she was pretty freaking emotionally drained after that night. Like in a 'I just did this, this was just a thing, holy shit' kind of way.  
> Trust me, though, things are about to go WAY down.  
> Next two chapters are going to focus on the aftermath of the night, first for JNPR, then for RWBY. Main reason RWBY's going second is because that's when the first story arc begins. This isn't to say that Team JNPR will stay on the sidelines, though!


	6. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day rises, bringing accomplices together and transitioning to the next trial.

Mist covered the city once morning came. Most wanted to think of the morning as quiet and calm, lacking in activity. However, this hadn’t been the case in Vale. By sunrise, the streets were already bustling with activity, the sounds of footsteps penetrating the fog, reaching the ears of few who were still asleep. The world had, in a few short minutes, transitioned from dormant to awake and barely active, just as its people had.

Beneath the silk-white veil, amidst the activity and the smells of the morning air, the aromas of coffee wafting from cafes and mixing with the moist atmosphere, Pyrrha walked. Even after the night prior, after her deal had happened, she had managed to force herself awake early. The sun hadn’t even risen when she stepped out, allowing for a moment of peace. She took in a deep breath, feeling renewed after her time in her hotel room. Indeed, the entire moment was relieving for her, to the point where it had almost felt like being born once again.

However, there was something on her mind. It was clearly visible, too; she occasionally ran her fingers against the sleeves of her jacket or the frayed edges of her shorts in attempt to calm her nerves.

This was her morning, though, and she wouldn’t let a few stray thoughts get in her way. Soon, she had walked through a typical routine that she would follow even in new areas. Find a cafe, go there, sit down and eat without any disturbances.

However, before she could even cross the street, a voice called out for her.

“Heeey! Pyrrha, right?”

She flinched, but quickly turned in the direction of the voice, being greeted by two new ‘associates.’

“‘S great to meet you,” the first one said. She was a bright, bubbly girl, with features that certainly showed her firey passions, the most notably being her bright, wispy auburn hair. She had a certain bounce in her step as she approached Pyrrha, her hands in the pockets of her jacket and her eyes practically sparkling.

‘Overbearing’ was the first word that came to mind at the sight of her. However, the first impression was quickly dismissed at the first sight of her partner.

“Nora,” he said, “Calm down. It’s been overwhelming enough for her.”

He carried himself with quiet poise and dignity, certainly. His face was stoic, yet it carried a certain lightness to it, possibly from the girl he was with. Though anybody’s eyes would be turned to the pink streak in his hair, Pyrrha’s eyes were turned towards this person’s legs as he walked towards her.

She took note of the slight limp in his step.

“Er…” Pyrrha responded, “You are?”

“I’m Nora!” the girl responded, “Ren and I heard that you’d be working with us in the future, so I thought ‘hey, we should go talk to her and get to know her!’ and here we are, talking with you, getting to know you, but maybe it’d be better if we actually went somewhere where we could sit down and talk, maybe! Oh, and is Jaune with you?”

“Y-Yes, that would be wonderful,” Pyrrha replied, “And no, unfortunately, Jaune isn’t with me. He was asleep when I left.”

“Oooohhhh, that’s how it’s be-”

“Nora, please. I doubt either of them will want to remember last night,” Ren interrupted, “So as she already said, I’m Ren. We’re Jaune’s associates, so to speak.”

“You two knew about the deal, though?” Pyrrha asked, her face slightly flushed.

“I’m sorry,” Nora said, turning away sheepishly, “It kinda...slipped out when I was speaking there. S-Sorry!”

“It’s...fine,” Pyrrha lied, “At any rate, I was heading out for breakfast…Would it be all right if I left for now?”

“Wait,” Ren said, “Here, take this.”

Ren reached into the satchel slung over his shoulder, pulling out his wallet and taking out a few lien.

“This should hopefully cover it. It’s the least I can do before you’re stuck in the worst situations,” he said, “You’re in for a hell of a time, you know.”

“I was prepared for that,” Pyrrha said, accepting the money and bowing, “I’m not sure I can be fazed after what happened last night. Thank you.”

“You’d be pretty surprised,” Nora chimed in, “I thought that when I was a kid! But then again, I’ve been in the business for a LOOONG time! You’ll be fazed pretty soon.”

Pyrrha sighed.

“Well,” she said, “I should be going. Goodbye for now.”

A few nods and a quick “Bye!” from Nora, and Pyrrha was off.

 

* * *

  
  


It was late in the morning when Jaune finally awoke, and as he had expected, Pyrrha was seemingly gone. Jaune had quickly realized, through a pounding headache and stiff legs, that he was alone for a while. At the most, it’d be the entire day. This was how it had always gone for him: He’d share a room with somebody, and they’d desert him before he was even awake.

However, it was shortly after he had woken that he realized that somebody was nearby. wasn’t a malicious presence, but rather, a sort of warmth. It was familiar, as if he had known this person for years of his life and stood by their side for many battles.

A knock on the door finally made him realize that he had to start moving.

“I’ll be over there in a moment!” he called, quickly dressing himself and rushing to the door.

He was pleasantly surprised to find himself greeted by Pyrrha. She was stiff, as if trying to feign any calmness and to avoid any more mentions of the night prior.

“You’re finally awake,” she said, handing him a bag, “Here, I brought you breakfast. It’s not that far to the place I’m supposed to stay, right?”

“...Thanks?” Jaune answered, “Er...Sorry about last night.”

“No, I should be apologizing. You didn’t want to do that,” Pyrrha replied, “It’s my fault, what happened...I can’t believe you went through that.”

“But you know, you were right,” Jaune said, “We were just following orders. And I mean, it...uh, it wasn’t that bad, to be totally honest.”

“Well, I enjoyed it too,” Pyrrha admitted, “I suppose that we made the best of it. Still, even if it did feel good, I hope we don’t have to do that again.”

“Yeah,” Jaune agreed, “So I think there’s something you still need to do, by the way.”

“And that would be?” Pyrrha asked.

“You haven’t met Goodwitch yet, have you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Volume 2, guys!  
> Hope this is okay for now! Next chapter will be here sooner, I promise!


	7. The First Moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queen has not returned.
> 
> Perhaps there was more than just revenge in the minds of the twins.

“Have either of you heard back from Weiss yet?”

That was the first question that met Blake’s ears in the morning. It wasn’t a particularly interesting morning in its first moments; the outside looked as it did every morning, a dense fog obscuring the view from the windows of a cheap apartment. Her bare feet touched the rough, matted carpeting of the living room as she stepped towards the couch, still exhausted from the night prior.

Ruby paced nervously in the eggshell-white room, her gaze pointed downwards, though she would occasionally glance nervously towards Blake or Yang, eventually just glancing towards the couch when both of them sat there.

“Ruby,” Blake sighed, “Ozpin informed us that he’s already sent out somebody to search. We’ve been told to lay low until Weiss comes back. I’ve already had to go through this one with Yang...It’s not a good idea to act on our own this time. One of our comrades is missing.”

Ruby finally looked Blake in the eye.

“But!” she interjected, “She’s my partner! OUR teammate! You just said that! Why can’t we just-”

“You think we’re up against another street thug or something?! This could be part of a plan, you know,” Blake retorted, “We could be witnessing another turf war, a war could be starting right under our noses. We can’t just disobey orders like that...”

Yang grinned wryly at Blake upon hearing this.

“Oh, I see how this is,” Yang said, “You say we should stay here...Heh, you’re with us completely, aren’t you, Blake? I knew it. Even when you spoke with me earlier...You want to do this, don’t you?”

Blake fell silent, prompting Ruby to speak up.

“Listen,” she said, “If we’re gonna do something, it has to be by tonight. I say we take a chance! We’re gonna go out and save Weiss if it kills us, right? Because Blake was right about her being our comrade...But more importantly, she’s my partner, and not to mention our friend! We’ve got a lot to plan out today, but I think I’ve got an idea.”

“So,” Blake sighed, “This is happening, no matter what?”

“Yep,” Ruby returned, “And you can be our scout! Quick, anybody got a pen and paper? I need to write this down. Or we can start our mission now!”

 

“So Blake’s the scout, right? And, uh, we check that warehouse first. That’s important! Yang, you’re on the front lines in terms of combat, should we need you. I’ll be the one to go in and grab Weiss. Simple as that!”

“Simple,” Blake repeated dryly, “We have literally no idea where to look aside from that warehouse, no idea of what we’re facing, and we may very well have to take on a small army.”

“Not quite,” Ruby replied, “I want to know something...Did you two encounter anybody suspicious on your way back home last night?”

“You can’t be serious, Ruby,” Yang said, “You know who we saw. They can’t possibly be responsible for-”

“We have to pin our hopes on them, though!” Ruby interrupted, “I mean...It’s just a wild guess, but I think it’ll lead us to something.”

“Yeah,” Yang replied, “Wild’s right. Those two don’t strike me as the type to do anything like that. Well, not unless money’s involved.”

“But-!”

“Wait, I need to be the voice of reason here,” Blake interjected, “It’s all entirely possible, but what we’re doing here is just guessing. It may be true...Or it could be entirely wrong. We can’t go about this the wrong way. I say we investigate a little before we jump to baseless conclusions.”

Ruby fell silent.

“I...I know. I guess I’m just a little desperate now. Somebody could have harmed the family,” Ruby said, “And you know how harsh a crime that is.”

“...I don’t know if ‘family’ is the appropriate term, at least as I see it,” Blake admitted, “I actually don’t know if I want to call her that.”

Ruby sighed.

“Blake,” Yang stated calmly, “It doesn’t matter what you see her as...She considers us her closest associates, if only for our combat skills.”

Blake nodded, still keeping a stern impression, then stood up.

“Ruby. Your call,” she said, “Even if I did give that warning, our plan is up to you. Go ahead and issue our first actions.”

“Right!” Ruby exclaimed, leaping up excitedly, “With Blake’s warning in mind, I say we try to go about this pretty discreetly. Each of us should try to go about our normal day, but at the same time take a look wherever we can for any leads that might lead us to where Weiss is. That way, aren’t we still laying low?”

“Yep,” Yang replied, “I’ll check the warehouse, if you want.”

“No, it’s alright,” Ruby said, “I’ll go there right away, before anything else happens. One of us needs to go there as soon as they can, and I’ve decided not to put you or Blake in danger so soon.”

“Right,” Blake said, stepping towards the door to the team’s apartment, “Yang, let’s go. I have at least a few places I’d like to look.”

“Right behind you,” Yang returned, moving behind her partner, “We’re off, then. Wish us luck!”

Ruby nodded, waiting for Blake to leave with Yang before doing anything else.

 

“What the...No, this can’t be right. Just what’d she do last night?!”

The warehouse now had flecks of sunlight flickering in, providing much the same effect as the moonlight had, except much brighter.

Bright enough to expose deep grooves in the concrete flooring, burned patches of wood from crates, and a floor that, though once covered in grease and chemicals, had been burned clean.

The walls weren’t much better. Though the damage hadn’t been enough to bring the building down, many parts of the metal walls has been melted, and the building might as well have been brought down.

It was no good for anything, not even another deal.

In the middle of the room sat a skeleton, eternally resting in the place where his daughter stole his life away, and with good reason.

“Weiss…?” Ruby whimpered, “A-Are you here…?”

No answer.

Taking her scythe, Ruby fired off a few rounds. A stupid move, but somebody would notice.

However, she was merely greeted by the quiet echo of her weapon being fired, by the wind blowing in from outside…

And footsteps from outside. The clicking of high heels, and a few words exchanged between two people.

“So she was here last night? Interesting…”

“Look, whatever you’re trying to get at, I don’t give a shit. Somebody else is already here for target practice. Hand me the damned cash.”

“Yes, of course...Here, Mr. Hei Xiong. If I must, I’ll take care of this one. However, we can’t just assume she’s a threat. At any rate...Goodbye.”

The sound of footsteps started up once again, quickly fading, and a silhouette appeared in the entrance to the warehouse, a single golden eye visible even at a distance, as it glowed brilliantly.

Ruby pointed her scythe towards the silhouette and snarled.

“Where is she?!” Ruby hissed, “Where?!”

“Oh, I know where she is. Miss Schnee is being returned to Atlas, if you must know...Her family needs her, and they were willing to pay a great sum of money for her. If you really do want to go find her, I’m not the one you should look to. Of course, with the way that Malachite girl seemingly took to her...I’m quite surprised they were willing to give her up.”

“W-Wait, out of the kingdom?! Wait! Don’t just run off like that!”

The figure had escaped quickly, her maroon dress flowing behind. Ruby ran after the figure at her highest foot speed, but this figure was like a mirage, disappearing just as she appeared, and soon, Ruby was at the entrance to the main part of the city once more, lost and confused from the sudden revelation.

She had to find her team. It was the only way she could find Weiss.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! The start of Volume 2 kinda sapped my muse away...
> 
> Also, check out my other fic! It's called Dead Lights, Empty Nights, and it's another AU, this time a dark circus themed one. The only planned relationship for it so far is Blake/Sun, but more may come up for it in the future.  
> Here it is!  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/2123568


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